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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26496265">once you, always you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfmoonjisung/pseuds/cirrus'>cirrus (halfmoonjisung)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>EXO (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Childhood Promises, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Jongdae’s Birthday Week 2020, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, jongdae is whipped, minseok is just oblivious</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:14:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,000</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26496265</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfmoonjisung/pseuds/cirrus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Minseok has made it his lifelong mission to look for the right guy for his best friend since diaper era, Jongdae.</p><p>Jongdae, on the other hand, just wants Minseok to get the hint already.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Challenge #7 — Out of Order</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>once you, always you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>[💘] keeping this at 999 is harder than i thought hdjdjd</p><p>[💘] anyway!! i saw the tweets saying mcd is prominent with this challenge so i offer you FLUFF!!! RIDICULOUS FLUFF!!!</p><p>[💘] honorifics are omitted because ~1k words ehe sorry</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Jongdae!”</p><p>He looks up from the catalogue he’s reading and turns to where the voice came from. His heart immediately soars at the sight greeting him that he starts to wonder if he’s dreaming.</p><p>Like an instinct already, he puts his paper down, gathers his bags (damned be his seat) and meets Minseok halfway.</p><p>He’s about to open his mouth when Minseok raises his hand while catching his breath, phone in his hand in an angle that allows Jongdae to see his screen. He spots the recording of a voicemail and purses his lips. <em> He’s heard it. </em></p><p>“I’m not here to stop you from going, and I know you probably don’t want an answer, but I can’t let you leave without telling you—“ Minseok halts his rambles, cheeks flushed, lips trembling, but eyes certain, as always. “Wait… am I too late?”</p><p>He can never be late, Jongdae thinks. Not when one look at Minseok is enough to blow him away.</p><p>He’s unable to fight off the smile creeping up his face as he replies, “Never.”</p><p>Just like that, Minseok returns the smile, and it’s the bright, vibrant, unmissable hope in his best friend’s face that makes Jongdae think that waiting was worth it.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br/>
<b>     minseok 💘</b>
</p><p>     wear smth GREAT! picking u up in 10</p><p>     we’re going on a DAAAATE</p><p> </p><p>When midterms ended and their college allowed them a week-long breather, this was the first message that greets Jongdae. Every time he reads it, he still gets surprised. It seems too <em> good, </em>too much of his wish to be true.</p><p>Still, he puts on his best outfit.</p><p>His breath gets caught in his throat when Minseok picks him up in dashing clothes, linking his arms with Jongdae as they make their way to a <em> samgyeopsal </em>place.</p><p>“A date,” Jongdae voices out when they see the entrance after internally debating about it.</p><p>Minseok beams. “Yup! <em> Our </em>date.”</p><p>Jongdae blushes. He hangs out with Minseok often, but this is the first time Minseok claims it’s a date. He smiles. Perhaps—</p><p>“There they are!”</p><p>Jongdae frowns.</p><p>Minseok’s doing the opposite. “I tried that blind dating thing, and I got us <em> dates. </em>The Kyungsoo one is mine—there, that one by the corner—and right across him, is Junmyeon. He’s all yours!”</p><p>Jongdae sighs. His best friend looks so happy that he just swallows all the words he wants to say and just nods along.</p><p>“Okay, let’s go.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Every highschooler’s dream is probably to get asked out by the most popular students in their batch for prom.</p><p>Jongdae just wants to go with Minseok.</p><p>So he’s all excited when said guy tells him in first period to go to the gymnasium after class, no matter what. (Yes, he’s thinking of Minseok doing a promposal for him.)</p><p>He’s right about the promposal.</p><p>Not about Minseok, though.</p><p>He sees his best friend, sure, but he’s one of those boys holding out cardboard letters that spell <em> “Will you go to prom with me?” </em></p><p>The one asking is Byun Baekhyun, the most popular student in their batch.</p><p>Everybody cheers when Jongdae enters. Baekhyun beams at him, a bouquet of roses in his hand.</p><p>He wants to say no, tell Baekhyun that he’d rather go with Minseok instead, but he can't exactly do that, not when Minseok’s looking at him with bright eyes and mouthing, <em> Say yes! </em></p><p>Jongdae sighs, and eventually accepts.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Okay!” Minseok declares after their second drink. “As promised, I’ll give you a present for getting that job position!”</p><p>Jongdae’s taken aback when Minseok suddenly kneels in front of him. His heart skip. Minseok takes his hand and Jongdae’s unable to fight off his blush.</p><p>“Jongdae, my soulmate-since-diaper-era,” Minseok begins. “You mean a lot to me. I’ll always have your back. This bar might not be the best place for this, but…”</p><p>Jongdae’s heart holds onto hope again when Minseok pulls him to the middle of the dance floor.<em> Finally.</em></p><p>However, Minseok says. “Here’s Sehun!”</p><p>Turns out Minseok brought him there to meet their apartment neighbor.</p><p>“Hello,” Sehun greets politely.</p><p>Jongdae looks at Minseok incredulously.</p><p>“You keep telling me he’s pretty,” Minseok says, voice only audible to Jongdae. “So here’s my gift—setting you up with him!”</p><p>Jongdae’s about to tell him that he was just stating an observation all those times, but Minseok’s already walking away, giving him a thumbs up.</p><p>He sighs and turns to an anticipating Sehun. “Hey.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It starts when they come across a wedding on their way home from middle school. It’s held at sunset, and they passed by just as the couple were exchanging vows.</p><p>“Must be nice,” Jongdae says after hearing heartfelt promises. “To be loved like that.”</p><p>Minseok smiles. “You’ll get your turn.”</p><p>Jongdae shrugs. “Who knows…”</p><p>“You will! I’ll make sure of it!” Minseok declares indignantly as he turns to Jongdae. “I swear! I’ll find the person who’ll give you all the love you deserve! Mark my words, Kim Jongdae!”</p><p>It’s a young promise, but Jongdae holds it dear.</p><p>As Minseok rambles about his new life-long mission to find Jongdae the perfect person, and the sight of such a fierce heart makes Jongdae‘s own soar. </p><p>Minseok doesn’t have to look that far.</p><p>That day, Minseok starts his mission.</p><p>That day, Jongdae starts his fall.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <b>[ RECORDING VOICEMAIL... ]</b>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> So… I got promoted and reassigned to Paris. I know we already said our goodbyes yesterday, but I didn’t say everything I planned—wanted to. This is cowardly on my part, but I can’t leave without letting you know. [deep breath] The reason why, after all these years, I still can’t match with all those boys you’re trying to pair me up with, is because one day I’m still hoping that you might offer your own heart—and I know I’ll gladly take it. [laughs] I know you don’t feel the same, and that’s okay. Maybe physical distance will help me acknowledge my place in your life. [long pause] But for whatever it’s worth… I love you, Kim Minseok. That’s all. That’s always been all. </em>
  </p>
</blockquote>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>[💘] thank u for making it this far! kudos and comments are appreciated 🥺</p><p>be my friend please!! ♡<br/><a href="https://twitter.com/halfmoonjisung">twitter</a><br/><a href="https://curiouscat.me/halfmoonjisung">curiouscat</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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